alt Hacker NewsI am about 300 points higher and think this is roughly correct. In openings amateurs will actually analyze more since GMs just have hundreds of opening lines memorized many moves deep. Middlegame and endgame there're usually just 1-3 reasonable plans that are obvious to a GM (but not at all obvious to amateurs) with 1-3 initial moves each. So, again, probably about as many as I consider.
The only time when GM will definitely analyze more lines than an amateur is in a highly tactical position but that happens, again, maybe 1-3 times per typical game (tactics themselves will last several moves, but they would be largely calculated through at the beginning of the tactical melee).
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> The only time when GM will definitely analyze more lines than an amateur is in a highly tactical position
Those critical moments are a big part of the difference between a GM and a good club player though. If a GM was somehow handicapped to not calculate such tactics, I think lesser players would be able to draw games against GMs much more often.
I agree that GMs can avoid calculation in many positions (e.g. openings as you said), but the value of broader and deeper calculation is still huge in chess.
Yes, I am even a little higher rated and have played numerous (low rated GMs) in tournament play. I do think they analyze more than 1-3 times per game.
The main thing commentators here are missing is that GMs have more confidence and do not repeat their analysis, but amateurs (strong club players included) typically re-analyze the same lines over and over. That alone would account for far stronger play with fewer moves considered, if you count the same move multiple times, which you should!
Also, Jonathan Rowson (Scottish GM - peak about 2600) describes his training matches with Mickey Adams (peak #3 or so in world - 2760), and says pretty much the same thing. Most of the time he asked “what about this line I rejected”, the answer was usually “I hadn’t considered that”.